AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is the 110th chapter of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. Well, this is it, folks! It's the moment you've all been waiting for: Tristan will finally get to meet Ash Ketchum, along with his friend Misty, and reunite with his and Hillary's old friend, Brock. This is a shorter chapter than most, but it'll be good, nonetheless. I hope you'll agree. Please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.

TEASER: Tristan and Hillary finally meet up with Ash and Misty face to face, and reunite with Brock.

Chapter 110: A FATEFUL MEET AND GREET

(Music Cue: Opening & Title Screen 1997-1998 (as heard at the beginning of "The Battle of the Badge"))

After traveling through time to discover the mysteries of Silver's aggressive and harsh behavior, our heroes found out that Silver was close friends with Giovanni before they eventually split up. This had all happened recently after Tristan and Hillary defeated him near the Indigo Plateau.

Meanwhile, Hillary was curious to know why Tristan wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer in the first place, so after traveling back further in time, Tristan rushed to the defense of his younger self and battled Team Rocket to help him overcome his fear of Pokémon.

And now, with our heroes safely back in the present, Tristan can finally focus his attention to his first battle of the Johto League Silver Conference Victory Tournament against his longtime rival, Silver!

"So refresh me on one thing, Tristan," said Hillary the next morning. "What Pokémon does Silver have the most of?"

Tristan was looking up Silver's data on the computer. "I'm pretty sure he's got all different types of Pokémon. It's been awhile since I battled him, but you can be sure he's gonna use his Feraligatr in tomorrow's match."

"That's for sure," agreed Hillary. "I still feed bad for that Pokémon after being stolen from Professor Elm's lab when it was a little Totodile so long ago. You can be sure it's been taught to act all mean and nasty since day one."

"True," replied Tristan. "How could I ever forget that day? He scared Chikorita out of its wits until we came and helped it out." He then turned back to the computer to see Silver's other Pokémon; most of which were fully evolved. "Besides Feraligatr, it looks like he has a Sneasel, Magneton, Crobat, Alakazam, and a Gengar. He doesn't seem to have caught any others at this point."

"Those Pokémon don't look all that tough to me," remarked Hillary as she looked at the screen. "If they're all that he has, no wonder he hasn't had many friends. And he's one of the 16 Trainers competing in the Victory Tournament?"

"Looks can be deceiving, Hillary," reminded Tristan. "Despite his harsh battling style, I'm sure he's raised his Pokémon pretty well. I'm sure my regular team can take those guys on despite that." He turned to Pikachu. "Wanna help me out tomorrow, pal?"

Pikachu eagerly agreed; it was willing to help Tristan win.

Outside, Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi were having breakfast.

The Legendary Pokémon were having breakfast just out of sight.

"So you decided on using your regular team for your battle against Silver, right?" asked Hillary.

Tristan nodded. "My Pokémon that I caught in the Johto region have really helped me get to this point. And they helped me in my battles. They didn't just help me win against Silver all these times, but they also helped me win my eight badges. Every one of those battles is a memory of all the Trainers and challenges we faced together. So I'm gonna do my best to help them in our battle tomorrow. And as long as I believe in my Pokémon, how could I possibly lose?"

"Yeah, that's the spirit," smiled Hillary. "With an attitude like that, there's no way you'll go down in defeat."

"What she said!" said a voice. "And you know who's Grandma always says that?"

(Music Cue: Surf 1999-2001 (full version))

Tristan and Hillary turned around to see their grandparents, Veronica and Eric, standing right behind them.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Tristan and Hillary were pleasantly surprised and ran to hug them.

Eevee came and nuzzled against Hillary.

"Eevee! Great to see you, buddy!" said Hillary as she embraced it. "How've you been?"

Eevee gave a happy reply, indicating that it had been well-cared for.

"Wanna watch Tristan from the audience and cheer him on with me tomorrow?"

Eevee eagerly agreed. It was willing to help her any way it could.

Then Tristan and Hillary saw two more people coming to greet them.

"Now you wouldn't forget about us, now would you?"

"It's Great-Grandma Rachael and Great-Grandpa Stuart!" said Tristan as he and Hillary excitedly came over to hug them as well.

"We all wanted to come and cheer you to victory, grand-sonny," explained Eric.

"And we wanted to bring your great-grandparents along for the ride, too," added Veronica. "They've been wanting to get some action up close for such a long time."

"We couldn't just sit at home watching it on TV and miss all the fun," put in Stuart. "We'd feel sad about staying in one place."

"So we called your grandparents and asked them if we could come, too," finished Rachael.

"Thanks, everybody," replied Tristan. "That means a lot. I'll do my best and make you proud."

Lugia and Silveena were watching from a distance.

Whoa! Talk about a big gathering! said Lugia. I heard of grandparents, but I've never heard of great-grandparents before!

They must be extra-special people in Tristan and Hillary's lives, added Silveena.

Presently, Tristan and Hillary saw two more familiar faces coming to them. They were a young woman and a middle-aged man.

"Hey, everyone!" called the woman. "I've brought a special guest!"

Tristan and Hillary were amazed.

"It's Professor Oak!" said Tristan.

"And that's Mrs. Ketchum next to him!" added Hillary as she and Tristan, along with their grandparents and great-grandparents came over to meet them.

"How have you been?" asked Tristan.

"We've been doing quite well," answered Professor Oak. "We just met up with Ash and Gary about an hour ago, and we heard they'll be competing against each other in the Victory Tournament."

"I'd love to see that battle," said Tristan excitedly. "That'll help me get warmed up for my first battle in the Victory Tournament. And I've also been wanting to meet Ash for quite some time, too."

"I'm sure you are, and I know you'll get a chance," replied Professor Oak.

"Ash is a great Trainer," added Delia. "And I know he'll make me the greatest mom there could be." Then she saw Veronica standing next to Eric, Rachael, and Stuart and happily ran to meet her. "It's you! Veronica, it's really you! I'm Delia Ketchum, and I've been a big fan of yours ever since I was a little girl. I've seen your battles on live television, and you were one of the best Trainers in the entire Johto region, winning against every Trainer. I've been wanting to meet you for such a long time."

Veronica chuckled. "I see my reputation precedes me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Delia."

"It seems you taught your grandchildren about being great Trainers ever since they moved to New Bark Town," remarked Professor Oak. "You must be very proud of them."

"I couldn't be more proud of them than I am today," replied Veronica. "And I know they always want to learn more about the world of Pokémon."

Tristan and Hillary agreed.

"Now before we go on with the introductions, I thought I'd tell you and Hillary that your Pokédexes will need an upgrade."

"Upgrade? But why?" Tristan and Hillary were confused.

Pikachu and Togepi were just as confused as their Trainers were.

Back inside the Pokémon Center, Professor Oak was explaining everything as he typed on the PC. "I've been gathering a lot of new information on newly discovered Pokémon ever since you first started traveling in the Johto region. So I figured that this would be an opportune time to update both of your Pokédexes."

Presently, two slots opened up, each containing Tristan and Hillary's Pokédexes, and Professor Oak handed them back.

"Now, the upgrade has been completed," said Professor Oak. "So you should be able to learn all-new information about any newly discovered Pokémon you see."

"Cool! Thanks, Professor Oak!" smiled Tristan and Hillary together.

"So are you thinking of a strategy to beat Silver in the first round of the Victory Tournament?" asked Eric.

"I already have, Grandpa," answered Tristan. "My Pokémon and I will be ready to go by tomorrow morning."

"That's great news," smiled Stuart. "I know you'll win."

Tristan turned to Veronica. "Hey, Grandma, is there any chance that I could go meet Ash now and see what he's doing? I also want to see Brock and see how he's been."

Veronica then turned to Delia. "What do you think, Delia?"

"I'm sure Ash is getting ready for his match, but I'm sure there won't be any harm in visiting him for a few minutes. He's been working so hard for the past hour and a half, and I'm sure he could use a little break."

"It's okay with us, dear," replied Veronica. "Just don't distract him from doing what he needs to do."

"Thanks, Grandma!" said Tristan. "Come on, Pikachu, let's go see Ash!"

Pikachu agreed as it ran excitedly right behind him.

"I'm gonna go with him, too, Grandma," said Hillary. "We'll be right back. I've been wanting to meet Misty for awhile ever since I saw her in the Whirl Cup!" And she and Togepi raced after him.

Delia then turned to Veronica. "You know, Veronica, your grandson reminds me of my son in so many ways. They just might have several things in common."

Veronica nodded in agreement. "Tristan has really grown up ever since he left on his first journey. He and Ash might learn something from each other."

"Ah, yes, those two meeting and becoming friends will really be something," added Professor Oak. "It makes me wonder what kinds of things they'll talk about together."

Rachael only smiled. "Ah, if only we could go back in time 50 years. Then we could do all the things we used to do all over again."

Meanwhile, in another room, another Trainer was busy preparing his team against his longtime rival. It was Ash, and he had his official Pokémon League Expo hat on his head.

Two other people were watching him.

One of them, Misty, had orange hair tied with a small ponytail on the side while the other, Brock, had brown, spiky hair.

"I know Snorlax has pulled through for me in the past, and Bayleef's really good, too, but I'm definitely going to need Charizard for this battle," said Ash. "Gary's a super-tough opponent, and I'm gonna need all the strength I can get in order to beat him."

"Those are definitely good choices, especially Charizard." replied Brock.

"Well, it makes sense," agreed Misty. "Charizard's a real powerhouse, especially since it spent so much time training in the Charicific Valley all this time, not to mention its habit of affectionate Flamethrowers."

Her Togepi trilled happily.

"I'm just not sure which of my other Pokémon I should use," groaned Ash as he put his head on the desk.

His Pikachu was concerned for him.

"We should take a little break," suggested Brock. "We've been strategizing for about almost two hours now."

Ash and Misty agreed.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Brock.

(Music Cue: Bicycle 1999-2001 (full version))

The door opened and in stepped Tristan and Hillary with their Pikachu and Togepi right behind. "Hey, Brock!"

"Tristan! Hillary! Long time, no see!" smiled Brock. "How've you been?"

"We've been well," answered Hillary.

"It's great to see you, too, Brock," added Tristan. "You're looking great."

"Well, I do try to keep myself in tip-top physical condition," chuckled Brock.

"We just wanted to stop by because I wanted to meet Ash," explained Tristan.

Ash was surprised. "Me?" Then he saw Tristan's Pikachu next to him. "Hey, you've got a Pikachu, too! That's so cool!"

"My name's Tristan, Ash, and I've heard about you from a lot of people Hillary and I met on our journey," continued Tristan. "And you made a big difference for them throughout your journey, too."

"Well, thanks, Tristan, that's very nice of you to say," replied Ash. "So will you watch my battle with Gary tomorrow?"

"You bet I will!" said Tristan excitedly. "And I'll cheer you on!"

"Well, Ash, you finally have a fan. It sure took you long enough," teased Misty.

"Hey!" yelled Ash. He was most offended by Misty's remark.

"Okay, you two, let's take it easy now," suggested Brock as he stood between them.

Hillary walked over to Misty. "My name's Hillary, Misty. I watched you compete against Ash in the Whirl Cup on TV, and I'm a big fan of yours."

"Well, that's very appreciative," chuckled Misty. "And I really like your Togepi."

Both Togepi trilled in agreement as they walked over to each other.

"Looks like they're great friends already," remarked Tristan.

"Two Togepi together are so adorable," agreed Misty.

"I like the fact that your Psyduck's Confusion attack defeated Ash's Kingler and sent it flying right into him," continued Hillary. "Tristan and I bet the outcome of that battle on a chocolate shake, and I won."

Ash and Misty were both surprised.

"Whoa, you bet that battle in the Whirl Cup on one chocolate shake?" gasped Ash.

"Yes, but this time, it's gonna be different," replied Tristan. "And I still haven't forgotten about my lost chocolate shake!" His eyes were now ablaze with a fiery passion.

"Whoa," whispered Hillary. "When Tristan gets like this, watch out."

"He must love chocolate shakes," replied Misty.

"All right, Hillary, I'm gonna make a wager with you this time," said Tristan. "I want my chocolate shake back."

"But that's ancient history," replied Hillary. "It's probably dissolved by now."

"No, no, I mean this. You know how we each have one chocolate shake a day, right? If Ash wins his battle with Gary tomorrow, then I'll get an extra chocolate shake tomorrow after my battle, namely yours. But if Gary wins, then you get another extra chocolate shake from me. Sound good?"

Hillary thought about it. Well, this was the same kind of bet that we did when Ash battled Misty. So, why not? "It's a deal, Tristan," she agreed aloud and shook hands with Tristan.

"Wow, talk about pressure," said Ash to himself.

"Don't worry, Ash, you'll be fine tomorrow," Brock assured him. "Don't let the chocolate shake thing get you down. Besides, you have to worry about Gary. Just think of the same passion that Tristan has, the same passion that you had about beating Gary at the very start of your journey."

"Yes!" agreed Ash. "I know I'll beat Gary once and for all! And now's my chance to prove it!"

"Yeah, that's the spirit, Ash," smiled Misty.

Ash's Pikachu and Misty's Togepi agreed.

"I think we'd better go, Tris," suggested Hillary. "We don't want to keep Ash any longer than we have to."

"You're right," agreed Tristan. "Sorry we barged in."

"Don't worry about it," replied Brock. "It was really nice of you to stop by and see us. I'm sure you wanted to meet Ash ever since I first talked about him. And someday, maybe we ought to let you travel with us for a while."

"We'd like that, Brock," smiled Hillary. "We could learn a lot more about Pokémon with you around."

Ash agreed as Tristan and Hillary left. He had gotten more inspiration from that fateful meeting with Tristan. "All right, let's get back to work!"

(Music Cue: My Friend, Pokémon)

That night, Veronica and Eric cooked dinner for Tristan, Hillary, and their Pokémon, as well as Rachael and Eric, at the Pokémon Center.

"Wow, Grandma, this is great!" smiled Tristan as he ate. "This pizza's ten stars out of five."

"Well, you learn from the best chef to be the best chef," chuckled Veronica.

"Oh, I almost forgot, kids," interrupted Eric. "I wanted Evan and Braden to come and watch you compete tomorrow, so I had them come here and spend the night here."

"Really? Evan and Braden are coming?" said Hillary hopefully.

"That'd be really great if they could watch my battle," added Tristan.

It was then that Braden and Evan suddenly appeared behind them.

"Wow, a pizza with a battle tomorrow."

"Wouldn't want to miss that."

"Evan! Braden!" Tristan and Hillary shook hands and gave them hugs.

"Hey, thanks for coming, guys," said Tristan.

"No problem," replied Braden. "We're always glad to see you, especially when you're in a big competition. I know Shen's competing, too, so that's another reason why I came."

"Now don't get nervous, because Braden wants you to emerge as the Champion just like him," added Evan.

"Hey, you're not helping," whispered Braden to Evan.

"Actually, your timing's perfect because I'm facing off against Silver tomorrow, and he's accusing me of making Giovanni disappear. But I had no choice but to stop him after what he did at the Indigo Plateau."

Evan and Braden understood what Tristan was saying.

"We saw the news reports last year," said Braden. "And I understand why you need our support. Well, you're definitely gonna get it from me."

"And me, too," added Evan.

"And all of us," put in Hillary.

"And us, too," said Rachael and Stuart.

"What they said," finished Veronica and Eric.

Pikachu and Togepi agreed. They would always be rooting for Tristan no matter how tough the fight.

Tristan smiled. With his family and friends by his side, he knew that he could win against Silver with no problem. "Thanks a lot, guys. That means a great deal to me. Now, let's beat Silver tomorrow and show everybody how far we've come together."

Pikachu eagerly agreed as everybody happily dug in to the pizza.

(Music Cue: Large Orchestra (4Kids Music))

The next day, the crowd roared in excitement as the sun shone high in the sky.

The announcer began his speech. "The day of the Johto League Silver Conference Victory Tournament has finally arrived! It's been an arduous journey for the 16 gifted Trainers who've earned the privilege of battling today! And I guarantee you'll witness a competition you'll never forget! The air here in the Silver Stadium is charged with excitement. Ladies and gentlemen, keep in mind from the beginning of this tournament, the battlefield will be randomly chosen and constantly changing, from Grass, to Rock, to Water, and to Ice. In addition, all matches will be full six-on-six battles, making every Trainer's strategy all the more important."

All of Tristan and Hillary's Legendary Pokémon friends were very excited for the Victory Tournament as they watched the big screen, especially Lugia.

When will I get to see Tristan battle? asked Lugia.

Probably later today, answered Silveena. He and Hillary told us that they wanted to see this Trainer named Ash, the Pokémon Trainer Tristan has endlessly been talking about.

Mewtwo knew whom Lugia and Silveena meant. That Trainer whom I've met so long ago, and now he's in a major tournament. I know he'll make all of us proud. And I know Tristan will do his best, too.

(Music fade out; Music Cue: Charizard (Lizardon) Appears! (as heard in the Japanese version of "The Lord of the Crystal Tower: Entei"))

And so, as Tristan prepares for his upcoming battle against Silver, his meeting with Ash has given him more inspiration to succeed as a Pokémon Trainer. And with Ash's battle against Gary just moments away, you can be sure that this battle will be one for the history books, so stay tuned!

► TO BE CONTINUED